Perception
Our perception changes our response to reality.
Some people believe that perception is reality. It is not reality. We respond to our perception of reality and this creates an opportunity for us to react to a situation in the manner in which we perceive it, not necessarily as it exists. When we interpret an event in a particular manner, our body and mind respond to our interpretation of that reality and we act on our interpretation which is not always the reality.
We may have had a “bad experience” when eating a certain food. Perhaps the food was not cooked properly or we were upset at the people we were with and we associated the bad feeling with the food. When we are presented with that same food, there is the possibility that we will react to the food in the “old” and hurtful manner, not giving the current presentation of the food a chance to please our palate. When we have experienced a negative event with a particular type of person, we may experience the same “old” reaction in a new situation with a person who is “similar” to the one with whom we had a negative experience.
Perhaps you had an interesting childhood and you enjoyed some of the parenting that you experienced. There may have been some aspects of your parents’ behavior that you may have said to yourself “I will never do that to my children.” Now you have children and you have just acted or spoke to them in a hurtful manner and you realize that you sound just like your parents. You are becoming them and you find this incredulous. You will parent your child just like you were parented unless you choose a different action and engage that action.
Our minds, bodies, spirits, emotions respond to our perception and interpretation of the new experience in the same manner as the old unless we specifically choose another response and physically act on that choice. We must make this choice and actively engage in it multiple times so that our bodies will create new neural connections for this chosen response. The idea is to be proactive and not reactive, to be our own self and respond to the actual reality in a safe and respectful manner. It is time to stop allowing our old hurts to rule our present life. We can live in the present and enjoy our lives. Are you ready for this challenge?
Copyright © 2010 Dr. MarcAndré Bock. All Rights Reserved.
